Rooting around in the aquifer for uranium will make the water in it undrinkable, says Rich Abitz, a geochemist, in the story. The EPA has agreed to look into the company’s permit.

King has also started a campaign on Change.org that asks people to sign a petition to prevent the mining.

“Being in the Southwest, and being where every drop of water is precious—and where water is sacred, too—we need to preserve the water not only for ourselves but for future generations,” says King. “Without water, there is nothing.”